Thursday, May 13, 2010

Is Your CEO Beautiful?

Duke University researchers, in connection with the National Bureau of Economic Research, have found that CEOs are perceived to have more competent faces than non-CEOs. The Duke researchers also concluded that people responded more favorably to the faces of CEOs from large companies than from small business.

Another interesting finding from the 20-page report: that “baby-faced” CEOs received lower “competence” scores than more-mature looking CEOs and tended to be paid less, though on the plus side, the baby facers got higher likability ratings.

And yet, “we find no evidence that the firms of competent looking CEOs perform better,” the study concludes. Essentially, the ‘look’ of competence says very little about effective competence.”

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Michael Roberto

The Great Courses

About Me

I am the Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. I joined the faculty after serving for six years on the faculty at Harvard Business School.

My research, teaching, and consulting focuses on leadership, with a particular emphasis on decision-making and teams. I have published two books based upon my research: Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes For An Answer (2nd edition to be released in May 2013), and Know What You Don't Know (2009).